Louis van Innovator

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal spoke at the League Managers Association annual management conference and claimed that he only delegates. The Dutchman then described himself as an innovator who pioneered modern coaching methods.

“Feedback is very important … But I have to say that because when I don’t say that then I’m arrogant,” Van Gaal was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. “I am also an innovator and I have changed a lot. I was the first coach who was with a notebook. Now everybody is with a notebook. I was the first coach who used video.

“I’m from a time where you [the manager] did everything. Now I’m the manager and I have a sports science department, I have a scouting department, I have a medical department, I have assistant managers, I have assistant coaches. I don’t do anything … nothing! I delegate. I delegate and I earn a lot of money.”

Van Gaal defended himself against claims that his team cannot play attacking football, citing his time in charge of Ajax as proof that his teams learn how to attack once they absorb the basic tenets of his philosophy.

“We [Ajax] won everything with very attacking football. I don’t say it too much because otherwise Mr Scholes will be very angry!” the Dutchman said with a laugh. “When you see my press conferences, I’m discussing a lot my philosophy.

“It takes always a little bit of time to transfer the message. I’m training in the brain – a lot of things in the brain – because football is not a sport of legs, it is a sport of brain, and tactics. So, that takes a lot of time.”